The Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs says over 1 600 Chinese nationals are living in Botswana involved in different economic sectors.

“Our last head count on November 19, 2014, as part of a reconciliation process, the number of Chinese nationals resident in Botswana stood at 1 606.

Chinese nationals are found in different sectors of the economy as directors of companies, employees and as dependents of residents,” Minister Thapelo Olopeng explained in Parliament on Tuesday, November 25. He was responding to a Parliamentary question on behalf of the minister of Labour and Home Affairs Mr Edwin Batshu.

Mr Olopeng said the processing of all applications for work permits, which is done manually, presents challenges of disaggregating detailed statistics therefore the ministry was unable to state the exact number of Chinese nationals working as business people, and as skilled or unskilled labour.

The MP of Selebi Phikwe West Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse had asked the minister to state the number of Chinese nationals residing in Botswana, and those in business and working in different sectors as skilled and unskilled labour.